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Hi-Fi Parts by Application: Chassis to Tonearms
Every part type in an audio product, with the material it is usually made from, the route it takes, the finish it gets and the callouts that decide what a shop will quote. Each row links to the guide that covers it in depth.
Parts table
Typical combinations, not rules. Your drawing and quantity decide the route, and the shop that quotes you confirms what it can hold.
| Part | Common materials | Usual route | Typical finish | Callouts that set the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amplifier chassis | 6063 extrusion, 6061 plate, 5052 or steel sheet | Extrusion plus milling, sheet metal, billet | Black or clear anodize, powder coat on steel | Panel gaps, heatsink flatness, transformer mounting, shielding at joints |
| Faceplates and front panels | 6061-T6 plate, 6 to 20 mm | 3-axis milling, diamond cut chamfer | Bead blast or brush, Type II anodize, laser marking | Cosmetic face, grain direction, colour reference, connector cutouts |
| Volume knobs | 6061, C360 brass, stainless, titanium | CNC turning, knurling, milled flats | Brushed or blasted anodize, polished and lacquered brass | Set matching, shaft fit, indicator line, edge break |
| Turntable platters | 6061, brass, stainless, POM, acrylic | CNC turning, balancing | Clear anodize, polished, machined finish | Flatness, runout, balance grade, bearing bore fit |
| Tonearms | 7075 and 6061, titanium, carbon fibre tube, brass counterweights | Swiss turning, 5-axis milling, bonding | Black anodize, bead blast, polished | Bearing fits, mass and balance, tube to headshell alignment |
| Speaker parts | 6061 billet, 5052 sheet, stainless and brass hardware | 5-axis milling, turning, sheet metal | Anodize, powder coat, polished trim | Driver recess depth, gasket faces, terminal spacing, spike threads |
| Headphone cups and yokes | 6061, titanium, stainless | 4 and 5-axis milling | Bead blast and anodize, PVD on stainless | Matched pairs, acoustic chamber volume, hinge fits |
| Isolation feet and spikes | Stainless, brass, 6061 | CNC turning | Polished, passivated, anodized | Set height matching, thread engagement, tip geometry |
| DAC and streamer enclosures | 6061 billet, 6063 extrusion | Milling, extrusion plus machining | Anodize, laser marking | Panel gaps, button feel, display window fit |
| Microphone bodies and cartridge bodies | 6061, 7075, brass, stainless mesh | Swiss and CNC turning, micro milling | Anodize, plating, bead blast | Thin walls, thread fits, very small cosmetic faces |
Material designations: materials. How each route works: processes.
By product
Each corner of hi-fi brings its own problem. These are the parts that usually set the schedule and the budget.
Amplifiers and preamps
Billet faceplate, extruded heatsink sides, folded cover, knobs and feet. The joints between three processes are where the product looks right or wrong. See panel gaps and valve amp chassis.
Turntables
Platter, bearing, plinth parts and tonearm. Flatness, runout and balance on the platter; fits and low mass on the arm. Small threaded parts with tight fits throughout. See tonearm tubes.
Speakers
Machined cabinets and baffles, driver rings, terminals and spikes. Gasket faces and driver recesses need flatness more than tight size. See binding posts and wood and aluminum enclosures.
Headphones
Cups, yokes, sliders and grilles in matched pairs. Left and right must match in finish as well as size, which means one alloy lot and one finishing batch.
DACs, streamers and pedals
Small enclosures where the panel gap and the feel of a button carry the price of the product. See pedal enclosures.
Pro audio
Microphone bodies, grilles, rack panels to EIA-310 and connector panels. See 19 inch rack panels and connector cutouts.
Reference for the rack standard: 19-inch rack.
Guide sections for these parts
This page is the index. The guide sections hold the detail, in reading order.
- ChassisBillet, extrusion and sheet, heatsinks, rack panels, panel gaps, shielding and cost.
- PartsKnobs, platters, headphone cups, feet, terminals and connector cutouts.
- FinishingAnodize colour, brushed grain, bead blast, marking and powder coat.
- SourcingDrawing callouts, first article and packing for cosmetic parts.
Questions about parts
Do you match only machined parts, or whole enclosures?
Both. Audio parts are often bought as a full set: chassis sides, faceplate, cover, knobs and feet that must look like one product. Send the set in one RFQ and mark which parts have to match in appearance. We match it with up to 3 shops whose machines and finishing fit, and you deal with them directly.
Which audio parts are hardest to get right?
The ones a customer touches or looks at closely: faceplates, knobs and headphone cups. They are small or highly visible, they come in matched sets and most of their cost is finishing, inspection and packing rather than cutting. A clear drawing with cosmetic zones matters more there than anywhere else.
Can a shop build electronics or assemble the product?
This site matches machined and finished mechanical parts. Some shops fit inserts, bond tonearm tubes or assemble sub-assemblies, but PCB assembly and final product assembly are outside what we match. Say on the RFQ what level of assembly you need.
What should go on the drawing for a cosmetic part?
Alloy and temper, the finish written as process plus colour reference, grain direction, cosmetic zones with acceptance criteria and viewing conditions plus the dimensions that apply after finish. The guide on drawing callouts for cosmetic faces covers the wording.
Working on one of these parts?
Send the drawing. We match it with up to 3 shops that machine and finish parts for audio products, and reply within 24 business hours. See drawing callouts for cosmetic faces first if the finish is the specification.